Ancient Greece
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Transcript of Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Mr. GieslerGlobal Studies
What I Know About Greece
What I Want to Learn
About Greece
What I LearnedAbout Greece
Refer to Notes Packet
Geography
Unlike other early civilizations, Greek civilization did NOT rise in
a fertile river valley
Rugged and remote corner of S.E. Europe
Much of Greece is mountainous and rocky terrain
Has several plains.
Geography
The Pindus Mountains start in northern Greece and stretch south
to the Gulf of Patra.
Geographically no where in Greece is more than 60 km from the
sea
Greece is located on the southernmost point of the Balkan
Peninsula and is flanked by 3 large bodies of water: the Aegean
Sea, the Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea.
Geography The Peloponnesus Mountains occupy southern part of
Greece.
Approximately 20% of Greece is made up of islands.
Crete is a large island located in the Mediterranean Sea
Most of the people in Greece live along the coast, or
along rivers and harbors.
Climate - Most of Greece has a mild climate
Summers are warm and dry
Rain is heavy during the winter months, with some
mountain areas getting snow.
Early Civilizations of Greece
Minoan Civilization Occupied the island of Crete
First inhabitants probably migrated from Asia Minor
We do not know a lot of the Minoan Civilization
What we do know, English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans provided
Success of the Minoans was a result of trade…not conquest
Minoans established outposts throughout the Aegean world,
including mainland Greece
Location allowed the Minoans to cross the seas to the Nile River
Valley and the Middle East
Early Civilizations of Greece
Minoan Civilization Through contact with Egypt and Mesopotamia, the Minoans
acquired ideas and technology – Cultural Diffusion
Minoan reached its peak between 1750 – 1500 BCE
The Palace of Knossos (NAHS uhs)
Archeologist digs reveal painting suggests that women moved
freely and may have enjoyed more rights than women in most
ancient civilizations
Early Civilizations of Greece
Minoan Civilization About 1400 BCE, Minoan Civilization vanished
Archaeologists are not sure why…maybe a volcanic eruption on
nearby island
Maybe an earthquake
Invaders definitely played a role – the Mycenaeans
Early Civilizations of Greece
The Mycenaean's Indo-European people
Conquered Greek mainland
Dominated the Aegean world from 1400 – 1200 BCE
Sea Traders
Reached Sicily, Italy, Egypt, and Mesopotamia
Influenced by the Egyptians and Mesopotamia – Cultural Diffusion
Early Civilizations of Greece
The Mycenaean's Lived in separate city-states on the mainland
Warrior-king ruled his village
Rulers amasses treasure; gold ornaments that archaeologists have
unearthed from their tombs)
Early Civilizations of Greece
The Mycenaean's The Trojan War – 1250 BCE
Legend or Reality???
May had its origin due to economic rivalry with Troy
Troy – rich trading city in now present-day Turkey
Troy controlled the straits that connect the Mediterranean and
Black Sea
Trojan prince Pars kidnapped Helen, wife of a Greek King
The Mycenaeans sailed to Troy to rescue her
For 10 years, the Greeks and Troy fought
Early Civilizations of Greece
The Mycenaean's The Trojan Horse
Seeking entrance into Troy, Odysseus ordered a large wooden
horse to be built.
Its insides were to be hollow so that soldiers could hide within it.
A number of the Greek warriors, along with Odysseus, climbed
inside.
The rest of the Greek fleet sailed away, so as to deceive the
Trojans.
One man, Sinon, was left behind.
Early Civilizations of Greece
The Mycenaean's The Trojan Horse
When the Trojans came to marvel at the huge creation, Sinon
pretended to be angry with the Greeks, stating that they had
deserted him.
He assured the Trojans that the wooden horse was safe and would
bring luck to the Trojans.
The Trojans celebrated what they thought was their victory, and
dragged the wooden horse into Troy.
At night, after most of Troy was asleep or in a drunken stupor,
Sinon let the Greek warriors out from the horse, and they slaughtered
the Trojans.
Early Civilizations of Greece
Homer Mycenaean power faded
1100 to 800 BCE, Greek Civilization seemed to
have step backwards; trade declined, cities were
abandoned, and people stopped writing
Homer; Greek poet; author of the Iliad and Odyssey
According to legend, Homer was blind and would wander from
village to village playing his harp and singing of heroic deeds
His tales were passed from generation to generation before they
were written down
Not This Homer
Early Civilizations of Greece
Homer The Iliad, serves as our primary source about the Trojan
War, including several writing liberties such as gods,
goddesses, and a talking horseMother tells me,the immortal goddess Thetis with her glistening feet,that two fates bear me on to the day of death.If I hold out here and I lay siege to Troy,my journey home is gone, but my glory never dies.If I voyage back to the fatherland I love,my pride, my glory dies…
TTYN – what is Homer’s message in this passage?
Early Civilizations of Greece
Homer The Odyssey,
Homer tells the reader a story of the struggles of the Greek hero
Odysseus to return home to his faithful wife, Penelope, after the fall
of Troy.
During his journey home, Odysseus encounters a sea monster, a
race of one-eyed giants, and beautiful sorceress who turns men into
swine.
TTYN – The Iliad and the Odyssey tell us what about the ancient
Greeks?
Homer depicts the heroism and courage of the ancient Greeks
The Rise of Greek City-States How Geography played a big role in the development of Ancient
Greece
The mountains divided the peninsula into isolate valleys
Beyond the coastline sat hundreds of rocky islands
The Greeks did NOT establish a large empire as the Egyptians and
Mesopotamians had – they built many small city-states
City-states were cut off from one another by either land or water
Strong loyalty to their own city-state
Fiercely defended their independence
Frequent wars between the city-states
The Rise of Greek City-States
The Polis
750 BCE, a unique version of the city-state called the polis
The top of the city sat the acropolis or high city, with great marble
temples dedicated to gods and goddesses
On flatter grounds lay the walled main city with its market place,
theater, public buildings, and homes
Men would spend time in the marketplace, debating issues that
affected their lives
The Rise of Greek City-States
Early Governments
750 – 500 BCE
Different forms of government
First, Monarchy – king or queen exercised power
Next, Aristocracy – class of noble landowners would win power for
themselves
Trade expands and new middle class of wealthy merchants emerge
Challenged the landowning nobles for power.
Oligarchy – power is in the hands of a small, powerful elite, usually
from the business elite
The Rise of Greek City-States
Changes in Warfare
Technology contributes to military strategies and power
Iron weapons replaced bronze; iron cheaper; now the common man
could acquire iron helmets, shields, and swords
New fighting methods emerge
The Phalanx emerges – formation of heavily armed foot soldiers
The phalanx reduces class differences
TTYN – why did the phalanx impact class differences?
Defense was now in the hands of ordinary citizens
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Sparta and Athens
The effect of new technology and warfare lead to emergences of
two dominate city-states: Sparta and Athens
Developed very different ways of life
Sparta stressed military virtues and discipline
Athens glorified the individual; would extend political rights to
more citizens
Sparta and AthensSparta Spartans conquer Laconia
This region lies in the Peloponnesus (southern part of Greece)
Conquered people turned into slaves, called helots
Helots worked the land
Spartans administered a brutal system of strict control
Spartan Government – consisted of two kings and a council of
elders who advised the elders
Assembly, made up of all citizens approved major decisions;
citizens were male and over 30
Sparta and AthensLife as a Spartan Young boys were bred to be strong Spartans
Spartan boys were only allowed to wear one layer of clothing
Spartan youth became excellent soldiers
Encouraged to steal to develop cunning and supplement their diet;
if caught they would be beaten
Spartan women wrestled and took part in sports
Had to obey their fathers or husbands
The culture of Sparta changed from normal Archaic Greek to
military and athletic.
Sparta and AthensLife as a Spartan Elders judged whether Spartan babies were strong or weak enough
to live.
If they were judged too weak, they were hurled into a gorge or
left to die in a hillside.
Life was made tough for the Spartan citizens so they could forever
control the Messenians.
Even alcohol was banned to the Spartans, but the helots were
allowed to drink.
Leonidas, warrior-king of Sparta
Sparta and AthensLife as a Spartan Sparta isolate itself from its neighbors such as the Greeks
Looked down and wealth
Forbade their citizens from traveling
Had little use for new ideas or the arts
Were willing to die for their city
TTYN – Why would Sparta’s rigid system and inability to change
lead to their decline in power
Sparta and AthensAthens Athens was located in Attica, north of Peloponnesus
Government would evolve from a monarchy into an aristocracy
700 BCE, noble landowners held the power and chose chief officials
Nobles judged major cases in court and dominated the assembly
Merchants and soldiers resented the power of the nobles
Argued that their service to Athens entitled them to more rights
Demands for change also came from farmers
During hard times, farmers were forced to sell their lands to
nobles; some were forced to sell themselves and family into slavery
Sparta and AthensAthens Athens moves closer to democracy; government by the people
Solon’s Reform
Solon – Chief Official granted permission to make needed reform
Outlawed slavery because of debt
High office to more citizens
Granted citizenship to foreigners
Gave Athenian assemble more say in important decisions
Sparta and AthensAthens Economic Reform
Encouraged the export of wine and olive oil; helped merchants and
farmers by increasing demand
Citizenship still remained limited
Wealthy landowners still held onto the highest positions of
authority
Rise of the Tyrants – people who gained power by force
Won support by imposing reforms
Sparta and AthensAthens Athenian tyrant, Pisistratus (pi SIHS truh tuhs) seized power in
546BCE
Helped farmers by giving them loans and land taken from nobles
New building projects – gave jobs to the poor
Gave the poor a voice and weakened the aristocracy
507BCE, reformer Cleisthenes created the Council of 500
members were chosen by lot of all citizens
Created law and supervised the day-to-day work of government
Created a legislature – lawmaking body, debated law
All male citizens over 30 were members
Sparta and AthensAthens Limited Rights
Only males citizens could participate in government
Slavery still existed
Slavery provided the citizens with the time to participate in
government
Sparta and AthensAthens Women, as in other Greek city-states had no share in public life
Women must be guided by men
Managed the house, cared for the children, and prepared food
Boys received an education, girls received very little, if any
Young men received military training and encouraged to explore
many others areas of knowledge
Studied to become public speakers
TTYN – why would it be necessary to become a good public
speaker?
In a democracy you were expected to voice your opinion and views
Sparta Athens
Sparta and AthensAthens Common Culture
Spoke same language
Honored same ancient heroes
Participated in common festivals such as the Olympic Games
Prayed to the same gods (polytheistic)
Sparta and AthensAthens Believed the gods lived on Mt. Olympus in Northern Greece
Zeus – the most powerful god
Hera – goddess of marriage
Poseidon – god of the sea
Aphrodite – goddess of love
Ares – god of war
Athena – god of wisdom, gave her name to Athens
Sparta and AthensAthens View of non-Greeks
Trade expanded and so did Greek colonies
Came in contact with people who had different cultures and
languages
Felt superior to non-Greeks
Called outsiders or non-Greeks barbaroi; people who did not speak
Greek
English word Barbarians comes from barbaroi
This feeling of superiority and what they learned from other
cultures would help the Greeks face a threat from the mightiest
power in the Mediterranean world – The Persian Empire
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Sparta and AthensThe Persian Wars “Earth and Water”
492 BCE, King Darius of Persia sent messengers to the
Greek city-states demanding gifts of “earth and water” as a
symbol of surrender
Many states obeyed
Athens and Sparta declined
Prior to the Persian demand, the Greek city-states, despite
their cultural ties, were often bitterly divided.
However, when Persia made their threat, they united to
defend their freedom
Sparta and AthensThe Persian Wars By 500 BCE, Persian authority had stretched into the Ionian Sea
Ionian Greeks rebelled against Persian rule
Athens sent ships to help
Persians crush the rebellion within the Ionian cities.
Persia looks to punish Athens for interfering
Battle at Marathon – 490 BCE
Marathon, north of Athens
Sparta and AthensThe Persian Wars Persian outnumbers the Athenians two to one
Despite being outnumbered, the Athenians used an element of
surprise
Persians retreated….The Greeks were victorious
The Greek sent a runner to Athens to share the news
He sprinted nearly 26 miles
Sparta and AthensThe Persian Wars 480 BCE, Xerxes, Ruler of the Persians sends a much larger force to
Athens
Sparta is on-board
Persians marched south to Athens; burn Athens; however, Athens
was empty
Athens puts their faith in the fleet of ships that they had build
Strait of Salamis; Athenian ships trapped, rammed, and sank the
Persian fleet
TTYN – What effect would the victory over the Persians represent
for the Athenians?
Sparta and AthensThe Persian Wars The Delian League – alliance with other Greek city-states designed
to meet the continued threats from Persia
Athens dominates the league
Creates an Athenian Empire
Forced its allies to remain in the league against their will
The League and the power it gave Athens over the rest of Greece
were to become one of the major reasons for the Peloponnesian War
against Sparta and its allies.
The Legend of Pericles
The Golden Age – the years after the Persian Wars
Pericles leads Athens
Economy thrived
government became more democratic
490 – 429 BCE – The Age of Pericles
Architects and sculptors to rebuild the Acropolis
New temples for the gods to remind Athens that the gods favored
them
Building projects increased prosperity by creating jobs for artisans
and workers
Athens became the cultural center of Greece
The Legend of Pericles
Pericles believed that all male citizens should take part in
government
Began to pay salaries to those who helped in public office; enabled
poor men to serve in government
The Assembly met several times per month
At least 6K members would participate
Direct Democracy – large number of male citizens took part in the
day-to-day affairs of government
TTYN – How do we (today) participate in democracy?
Indirect democracy – through representatives
The Legend of Pericles
The Funeral Oration
Thucydides, historian during the Age of Pericles“Our constitution is called a democracy because power is in the
hands not of a minority but of the whole people. When it is a question
of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law: when it
is a question of putting one person before another in positions of
public responsibility, what counts is not membership of a particular
class, but the actual ability which the man possesses.”
TTYN – What is Pericles suggesting?
Athenian citizens bore a special responsibility, We alone,” he stated,
“regard a man who takes no interest in public affairs, not as harmless
but as a useless character”
The Peloponnesian War
Greek vs. Greek
Many Greeks resented Athens and Athenian domination
Two camps emerge; Led by Sparta
The Peloponnesian League
Sparta encouraged oligarchy vs. Athenian democracy
431 BCE, war brakes out between Sparta and Athens
27 years of war
The Peloponnesian War
Athens has a powerful navy, but Sparta has a land advantage
Sparta was located inland, therefore, could not be attacked by sea
Sparta marches to Athens
Pericles moves the citizens inside the walls of Athens
Disaster – a plague emerges; kills 1/3, including Pericles
Pericles successors were less able; power struggle undermines the
city’s democratic government
Sparta aligns with Persia
404 BCE, the Spartans capture Athens, stripped the Athenians of
their fleet and their empire
The Peloponnesian War
The impact of the war
Athenian economy would revive
Spirit and greatness would never return
Democratic government suffered
Corruption and selfish interests replaced older ideals such as
service to the city-state
Sparta would eventually be defeated by the Thebes, another Greek
city-state
Greeks would continue to fight among themselves
359 BCE, a new power rose in Macedonia, a kingdom to the north
Stay tuned for out unit on Alexander the Great
What I Know About Greece
What I Want to Learn About Greece
What I Have Learned So farAbout Greece
The Great Thinkers of Greece
Some great thinkers denied that events were caused by the whims
of the gods – they used observation and reason to justify what
happened
The Philosophers
Explored many subjects – mathematics, physics, music, logic, and
rational thinking
Through reason and observation, they believed they could discover
laws that govern the universe
Ethics and moral behavior – debated the best kind of government
and what standards should govern people’s behavior
The Great Thinkers of Greece
The Sophists, questioned accepted ideas about truth and justice
Urged students to develop skills in rhetoric, the art of skillful
speaking
Socrates was an outspoken critic of the Sophists – believed they
undermined traditional values
Socrates – The Wandering Teacher
Questioned fellow citizens about their beliefs and ideas
Urged his students to question and critically examine all around
them
The Great Thinkers of Greece
Socrates - Although he wrote nothing, he left Western philosophy
the rich legacy of his example in the persistent pursuit of truth
The Socratic Method – to seek truth and knowledge
Devoted himself to free-wheeling discussion with the aristocratic
young citizens of Athens, insistently questioning their unwarranted
confidence in the truth of popular opinions
Charged with corrupting the youth and interfering with the religion
of the city
Convicted Socrates; sentenced him to death in 399 B.C.E; drank
hemlock in the company of his friends and died
The Great Thinkers of Greece
The legacy of Socrates
Plato – emphasized the importance of reason; through rational
thought, people could discover unchanging ethical values, recognize
perfect beauty, and learn how to organize an ideal society
The Republic – described his vision of the ideal state
Rejected Athenian democracy because it condemned Socrates
Believed that the state should regulate every aspect of its citizens’
lives in order to provide for their best interests
The Great Thinkers of Greece
Divided the society into 3 classes: workers, soldiers, and
philosophers
TTYN – Using Plato’s template for society, describe the role for
each of three classes
Workers produce the necessities, soldiers defend the state, and
philosophers would rule; trained to ensure order and justice; the
wisest would have the ultimate authority
Believed women could and should play an active role
The Great Thinkers of Greece
Aristotle
All types of government, Aristotle found good and bad examples
Suspicious of democracy; thought it would lead to mob rule
Favored rule by a single, strong, and virtuous leader
Reason was the guiding force for living and learning
The Beauty of Ancient Greece
Greek architecture has been admired and copied for centuries
Most of our knowledge of Greek architecture comes from the few
surviving buildings of the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman
periods…..since Roman architecture heavily copied Greek
Ancient Greek architects strove for the precision and excellence of
workmanship
The Beauty of Ancient Greece
Greek sculpture emphasized the same passion for perfection as
architecture
Emphasized natural poses
Carved gods, goddesses, athletes, and famous men in a way that
showed individuals in their most perfect, graceful form